Working experience in film and television special effects industry

Working experience in film and television special effects industry

Filmmakers use them to avoid putting actors in danger or to make movies more exciting. The following is my working experience in the film and television special effects industry. I hope everyone will look carefully!

Introduction to the core skills of visual effects:

If you are going to start learning visual effects, this is a starting point. The following is the successful experience of more than 60 visual effects experts, which is beyond the content granted by the school. They hope to help the students who are studying now by teaching their experience.

The purpose of this introduction is to list the core experiences needed in all visual effects fields. I hope I can point out the maze for fans, lead the way and open my mind for beginners.

1. What part of the visual effects process do you want to do?

If you want to work in the visual effects industry, there is a certain edge: the bigger the company (exactly, what do you want to go to? ), the finer the division of labor. The division of labor between small visual effects studios or departments is not so clear. Modeling, animation and lighting can be the same person. The work of a post can run through the whole process. Large companies may pay more attention to the special skills of employees and make achievements in a certain field. Large and small companies have their own advantages. When you choose a job, you can consider what kind of job you are suitable for.

Sending a portfolio resume to a big company usually doesn't show you any special advantages. Or it often means that you don't understand teamwork. Visual effect is a team work. So from the beginning, you must remember that you don't have to specialize in every field of visual effects.

Many students instinctively avoid "specialization" and think that they need to master a variety of professional knowledge in various fields to highlight themselves. I believe this will bring them more job opportunities. But all failed.

It's good to show film-level skills and work experience, but if you don't specialize in modeling, animation, materials, lighting or composition, you don't know any of them. Don't let your personal 10 minute short film expose your professional weakness and average your professional expertise.

If you are interested in film special effects and have tried various fields of film special effects production during your student career. Find out what you are best at. While learning knowledge and experience in various fields, I specialize in my best field.

From the point of view of the company and recruiters, choosing the right company to show your specialty is the way for you to be hired. You need to let them know what your major is and what you can do in the process of making special effects.

Relax, no one wants you to become an expert as soon as you leave school. But let big companies see which field you are best at, such as 2D or 3D? The personnel department will like potential newcomers.

2. The visual effect is teamwork.

To integrate into the team, you must be familiar with a variety of professional fields. Show that you are an indispensable member of the team in any way. Seize the opportunity to show personnel that you are better than others in this field (remember to show your expertise and don't cover all aspects, because maybe this company already has experts in these fields, so don't boast).

Visual effect is a work that needs teamwork. The attribute of "player" is much more reliable than "friend". As a team member, you should do your job well, not only to customize and quantify your work, but also to ensure that the members below your assembly line can customize and quantify their work. Because on the surface, everyone is doing their own work, and they will inevitably bring their own style into their own work. Understand everyone's work, think about how to combine everyone's work and discuss more with each other, especially with your team members below. What can you do to make it easier for him to change jobs?

3. Visual effects, efficiency and creativity

In order to understand the operation of visual effects industry. You need to understand the essence of making successful visual effects-efficiency. The efficiency of making images and data.

When you create images or data, you need to meet requirements, not perfection. Perfectionists can only slow down. Because they don't know how to let go, maybe you want to do better, but only if you have enough time. Always follow: most visual effects work is to complete the basic content and then rework. On the basis of completing the basic content, use spare time to supplement more and better details.

The number of details depends on the visual effect and the degree of completion of the work. This shows that you should solve the problem within the existing conditions. Instead of looking for new working methods. For example, in a broadcast-level image, it is not necessary to use a particle system for the far fog effect. If the fall of a simple object can be solved by a ready-made animation, then there is no need to carry out complex physical simulation. Some are for efficiency.

Remember, we don't restore the real world in 3D images, but present it vividly. Save the production process and rendering time in various ways. Make more use of 2D images, masks, baking light information to materials, or layered rendering, so you don't have to do anything that is not in the lens.

Make a draft in your mind. People often want to solve problems, but they make them more complicated. For example, if your CG light doesn't work, you will want to add another light, which will really slow down the rendering speed. Planning before doing something has nothing to do with software technology.

It's not your problem, it's the assembly line.

The visual effect lies in the assembly line operation, not in the function of a single software. You work at some point on the assembly line and form a complex machine with others. The role you play can only be seen by your downstream players.

Therefore, it is necessary to have a global vision and let colleagues finish more work efficiently, but you can't be too leisurely, because you get semi-finished materials and need to process them. Know your contribution to the assembly line and ensure the normal operation of the assembly line.

In the visual effects industry, Nepal needs to have its own killer to ensure that you can finish the work even if you need to rework it at the last minute.

The deadline is the deadline.

Unlike school homework, it can be made up or delayed, and it is reliable to ensure that the task is completed before the deadline, so as to win respect.

Realize that no task requires you to be perfect. There is always room for improvement, but this is not the point. It seems simple. Doing what you have to do and finishing the task before the deadline is king.

When things don't go according to plan, there is a backup plan at last. Can you give up anything to ensure the quality of the task? Can this lens use some low-precision maps and simple materials?

6. Customers will pay attention to you

You take these shots for others, not for yourself, but you must be professional. Your job is to meet the needs of customers, and the project manager will often communicate with customers. This doesn't mean that your work will be greatly disturbed. Artistic creation can have many interpretations and broad definitions.

Meet the needs of customers quickly, and customers will think that you are very professional and thoughtful.

So far, visual effects is a service industry. When the client gives you money and entrusts you with a task, if the client doesn't like your work, it is mostly because it doesn't conform to the film style or the taste of the director. Don't pay too much attention.

What needs to be understood is that most companies have a trick, that is, to pre-empt the customer's taste and make the customer like their style.

7. Criticism is an opportunity

Many novices can't accept criticism, because in school, criticism is often subtle and euphemistic, not as straightforward as doing business.

The idea that accepting criticism is opportunity is not to question your own ability, so let go of your so-called self-esteem, make clear your criticism and accept it with an open mind.

Don't think that being a girl can impress you. The only indicator is that you can handle the lens. There will always be various ways to complete the lens task, which is required by the project manager.

Don't try to solve all kinds of shots with a panacea. It may be beautiful, but it will be cut off eventually.

The actual editing of the film is gradual, which means that sometimes special effects shots are not used.

In addition, in large visual effects institutions, personnel always evaluate your ability from whether you can successfully withstand pressure and demand. There is no unnecessary judgment and personal relationship. Completing the work is the best feedback on your ability. So don't expect relationships. There is no time.

8. think for yourself

Describe your job with ideas. A large project team may have a daily meeting, and a small project team may discuss it at a desk. It is very important to introduce how your work has progressed since the last customer inspection and how your work will proceed in the next step. You need to introduce yourself, what strategy you have adopted for the task, where the work has gone and where to go next. Introduce your progress and work around these. Let them have confidence in your future work.

Don't be afraid to talk about your work when meeting with the project director. When you have an idea that can make the camera look better or make it faster, say it. But don't personalize things, because they may think in different directions. Supervisors will see a lot of artistic creations and finished lenses, and it is your job to achieve the average quality of these works.

Honesty, human nature often chooses to cover up or ignore problems, especially when you think others will question your ability. In the field of visual effects, a small mistake can snowball into a big problem through multiple departments. Therefore, it is much better to discuss this problem now than to become insoluble later.

Similarly, an honest estimate of time. Supervisors or other colleagues need a real work schedule. How long does it take to build a shot/sequence? If you have spent two days, you need two more days. Tell them. They will be happy to get the schedule, so as to help you finish the project on time.

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